Recently there has been a lot of press about Suri Cruise and her little silver high heels. There is nothing quite like a celebrity (or the child of one) to bring these types of things to the forefront of the public consiousness. So, should kids wear high heels? My answer is no, they SHOULD not wear high heels. That said, they certainly CAN wear high heels. The question is similar to should kids eat cheeseburgers and fries. No they shoud not, but they can, in moderation with adult supervision without any major disasters.
Many of my female patients in Sarasota, Florida are afraid that I am going to tell them that they can never wear high heels again. The truth is that high heels do increase pressue on the balls of the feet(what we call the metatarsal heads), can cause shortening of the Achilles tendon and increase the chances for falling or spraining an ankle. That said, many of the sports that I enjoy can possibly lead to all kinds of injuries. Tennis, basketball, skateboarding, roller blading, marathon running etc, can all possibly cause injury to the foot and ankle. All of these activities have the same warnings as high heels. Where is the outcry to stop kids from doing any of these?
Do I think it is a little silly for a kid to wear high heels, I guess. What I find even more silly is that it has become such a big news item in the complex world we live in.
Committed to your health,
Dr. Craig Conti
Sarasota Foot Care Center
http://www.sarasotafootcarecenter.com
